Button attachment for garments



1957 G. A. ELLESTAD BUTTON ATTACHMENT FOR GARMENTS Filed Jan. 25. 1955 mm m w.

United States Patent BUTTON ATTACHMENT FOR GARMENTS Gerhard A. Ellestad,Rochester, N. Y. Application January 25, 1955, Serial No. 484,016

9 Claims. (Cl. 2123) This invention relates to garment buttons and moreparticularly it has reference to ornamental button devices orattachments which are adapted to be detachably secured to the commontype of pearl buttons or the like which are sewed onto garments such asthe cuffs of shirts. This type of button is sewed onto one portion ofthe cutl so that it may cooperate with a button hole in another portionof the cuff to hold the portions in overlapped relation. Such commonlyused sewed-on buttons are not ornamental and hence they do not enhancethe appearance of the end for dress wear.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an attachment or deviceof the type described having an ornamental bottom which will enhance theappearance of the cuff and be adapted to cooperate properly with thebutton hole in the cuff for holding the parts together.

Another object is to provide an auxiliary ornamental button which may bedetachably secured to a sewed-on button on a garment so that theornamental button may be held in proper position for cooperation withthe button hole in the adjacent part of the garment.

A further object is to provide an ornamental button device of the typedescribed having an attaching clip which can be slipped over a sewed-onbutton on a shirt cult and held in place by the coaction of a part ofthe clip with the edge of the cuff.

Still another object is to provide an ornamental button attachment ofthe type described which will be simple in structure yet eflicient inoperation.

These and other objects and advantages reside in certain novel featuresof construction, arrangement and combination of part-s as willhereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 180,859, filed on August 22, 1950, now abandoned.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of an unbuttoned shirt cufi showing myornamental button device attached to the sewed-on button on one portionof the cuff.

Fig. Zjs a view, partly in section, showing the relation of the partswhen the cuff is buttoned on the ornamental auxiliary button.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the under side of theauxiliary ornamental button and attaching clip.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, on a smaller scale, taken from anotherviewpoint.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view, with a part in section, showinga modification of my ornamental button device.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view, with parts broken away, showing the device ofFig. 5 attached to a sewed-on button on a shirt cuif.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing the relation of the partswhen the cuif is buttoned on the ornamental button of Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view, with parts in 2,775,434 PatentedJan. 3, 3.95?

section, showing another modification attached to a button on a cuif.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view thereof, on a reduced scale, with parts brokenaway.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is disclosed in the drawingswherein there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a fragmentary viewof a commontype of shirt cuff having the two portions 10 and 11. The usual type ofpearl or plastic button 12 is sewed onto the cuff portion 10 by thethread 13 and the cuif portion 11 is provided with the usual button hole14 for cooperation with the button 12 to hold the cuff portions inoverlapped relation in the customary manner.

My ornamental button device or attachment comprises the auxiliaryornamental button 15 which may be formed of any suitable material suchas, for example, silver, gold or gold-filled sheet stock. The outersurface of the button 15 may be suitably ornamented by engraving,stamping or any other type of embellishment. Secured to the undersurfaces of button 15, by soldering or other suitable means, is a postmeans 16 having a slot 17 formed in its outer end. An attachingbutton-embracing clip 18, made of spring wire, is reversely formed toprovide a substantially horizontally extending U-shaped clip having anupper portion comprising the two spaced arms 19 and a lower portioncomprising the two spaced arms 20. The upper arms 19 are connected by anin tegral neck which is confined with the slot 17 by pinching togetherthe sides of the slot so that the clip 18 is r-ockably secured to thebutton 15. The length of arms 19 is about the same as the radius of thesewed-on button 12 so the post 16 is located over the central part ofthe sewed-on button.

The ends of arms 20 extend on opposite sides of thread 13 outwardly indiverging relation to each other as shown at 22 and thence upwardly andinwardly to provide loops 23 for receiving the sewed-on button 12, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2. The clip 18 is secured to the button 12 byforcing the loops 23 edgewise onto the button. Since the clip 18 isformed of spring wire, the loops 23 are yieldably separated as the clip18 is forced onto the button 12 and the loops 23 spring back into normalposition after they have been forced past the diameter of button 12.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the ornamental button 15may be detachably secured to the sewed-on button 12. After theornamental button 15 has been secured thusly to button 12, the buttonhole 14 may be brought into cooperative engagement with the ornamentalbutton 15 so as to hold the cuff portion 11 in proper relation to thecuff portion 10, as shown in Fig. 2. This can be accomplished becausethe ornamental button is held spaced above the plaue of the upperportion 19 of the clip a distance sufficient to accommodate thethickness of the cuff portion 11 and also because the post means 16,which so holds the ornamental button 15, is connected only to thesubstantially central portion of the under side of ornamental button 15.Hence, the ornamental button 15 is held spaced above and in substantialalignment with the sewed-on button 12 and with the post means 16substantially aligned with the thread 13 so that the ornamental button15 is in proper position for cooperation with the button hole 14 on thecuff portion 11. The clip 18 and its attached ornamental button 15 may,of course, be removed from button 12 by forcing the clip so that theresilient loops 23 will yield laterally and permit the clip to be pulledaway from the button 12.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5-7, the buttonembracing, attachingclip 30 is made of a piece of spring wire which is reversely bent toprovide a horizontally extending, U-shaped clip having an upper portioncomprising the two spaced arms 31 connected by the bends 31' to the twospaced arms 32 comprising the lower portion. The upper arms 31 haveupwardly extending parts 33 connected by a neck 34 which is held withina slot 35 formed in the lower end of post 36 which is attached to anddepends from the under side of the ornamental button 37. The slotted endof post 36 is squeezed together so that the button 37 is rockablymounted on the clip 30. The arms 32 extend forwardly and terminate inreversely formed ends or hook means 38.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the clip 30 is slipped over the edge of asewed-on button 39 which is attached to the cutf portion 40 by means ofthread 41. The sewed-on button 39 is embraced by the arms 31 forming theupper portion of the clip 30 and the arms 32 forming the lower portion.The slot means or space 42 between the arms 32 receives the thread 41 sothat the arms 32 are positioned on opposite sides of the thread. Thearms 32 which extend forwardly are of such length that the hook means 38may be hooked over the adjacent edge 43 of the cuff portion 40.

This latter operation may be readily effected by folding or pulling backthe edge 43 of the cufi portion so that it can be placed within the hookmeans 38. The length of arms 32 should preferably be such as to providea slight movement of the clip 30 in a direction perpendicular to thecuff edge 43 in order to take care of variations in distance between thesewed-on button 39 and the edge 43 of the cuff. Since an arm 32 ispositioned on each side of the thread 41, movement of the clip 30 in adirection parallel to the edge of the cuff is prevented. The clip 30 isaccordingly detachably held on the sewed-on button so that theornamental button 37 is held spaced above and in substantial alignmentwith the sewed-on button. The other cufi. portion 4-4, which has thebutton hole 45, can therefore be fastened by cooperation of theornamental button 37 with the button hole 45. In this modification, thepost means is also connected to the under side of the central portion ofthe ornamental button 37 and since the length of arms 31 is about thesame as the radius of the sewed-on button 39, the ornamental button 37is substantially aligned with the sewed-on button.

A further modification is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 wherein abutton-embracing, attaching clip 50 is formed of sheet material, such assuitable metal, to provide a horizontally extending, U-shaped cliphaving the upper portion 51 which is connected by the bend 52 to a lowerportion 53. The upper portion 51 has an upwardly extending post means 54which is connected to the central portion of the under side of theornamental button 55 as by soldering, for example. The lower portion 53extends forwardly and terminates in a reversely formed end or hook means54. Formed in the lower portion 53 is the longitudinally extending spaceor slot 56 which has an open end or mouth 57.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the clip 50 is slipped over the edge of asewed-on button 58, attached to a shirt cuff 59 by thread 60, so thatthe upper portion 51 engages the top side of the sewed-on button 58 andthe lower portion 53 engages the lower side of the sewed-on button 58.As the clip 50 is moved forward, the thread 69 enters the mouth 57 ofthe slot 56 and thence moves into the slot. The edge 61 of the cutf isfolded or pulled back slightly and then positioned within the hook means54. The clip 56 and its ornamental button 55 are thereby detachably heldon the sewed-on button. To remove the clip 50 and the ornamental button,the edge 61 of the cuff is pulled back to free it from the hook means 54so that the clip 56 may be slid off from the sewed-on button and itsattaching thread.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I am able to attain theobjects of my invention and provide means whereby an ornamental buttonmay be detachably secured to a sewed-on button so that the ornamentalbutton may be held in proper position for cooperation with the buttonhole in a cuif or the like. While the devices are shown and described asbeing made of metal it is, of course, obvious that they could be made ofother materials such as suitable plastics. Or the device could be madewith a combination of metal and plastic parts as, for example, bymolding a colored plastic ornamental button with integral post means andconnecting it to an attaching, button-embracing clip formed of springwire or sheet metal of the proper characteristics. In the forms of thedevice shown in Figs. 1-4 and 5-7, the ornamental button is mounted totilt or rock on the supporting clip structure. Such a mountingfacilitates the operation of buttoning the ornamental button to thebutton hole. However, the ornamental button may be rigidly mounted asshown, for example, in the device in Figs. 8 and 9. Since the ornamentalbutton is, in all modifications, held spaced above and substantially inalignment with the sewed-on button by the centrally positioned postmeans, the ornamental button is held in proper position for cooperationwith the button hole in a neat and efiicient manner.

Various modifications can, obviously, be made without departing from thespirit of my invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A button device adapted to be detachably secured to the sewed-onbutton of a shirt cuff having another portion provided with a buttonhole for cooperation with the button, said device comprising anornamental auxiliary button, a button-embracing attaching clipconstructed to be detachably secured to the sewed-on button, said clipbeing of U-shape and having upper and lower portions adapted to bepositioned, respectively, on the upper and lower sides of the sewed-onbutton, the lower portion comprising spaced arms between which thethread of the sewed-on button is adapted to be received, and post meansconnecting the upper portion to the ornamental button to space theornamental button above the portion, said post means being locatedinwardly from the peripheral edge of the ornamental button and extendingdownwardly to said upper portion from the ornamental button, said postmeans lying only in the central vertical plane of the ornamental buttonwhereby the latter will be aligned substantially with the sewed-onbutton when the device is attached thereto so that the ornamental buttonmay cooperate with the button hole for holding the portions of the cufrtogether.

2. An auxiliary ornamental button device adapted to be attached to asewed-on button held by thread on a cult having a button hole forcooperation with the sewed-on button, said device comprising anornamental button of such size and shape that it will pass through thebutton hole on the cuff, a horizontally extending, U-shapedbutton-embracing clip having upper and lower portions, the lower portioncomprising two spaced arms for receiving the thread therebetween, postmeans extending downwardly from the under side of said ornamental buttonand only at the central portion thereof, the lower end of the post meansbeing connected to the upper portion of the clip at a point which isspaced from the bend of the clip a distance which is at least equal tothe radius of the sewed-on button whereby the device may be attached toa sewed-on button by sliding the clip onto the sewed-on button with theupper and lower portions positioned, respectively, along the upper andlower sides of the sewed-on button and with the arms positioned onopposite sides of the thread and with the ornamental button positionedabove and substantially in alignment with the sewed-on button so thatthe ornamental button may cooperate with the button hole.

3. A button device adapted to be detachably secured to the sewed-onbutton on a portion of a garment having another portion provided with abutton hole for cooperation with the button, said device comprising anornamental auxiliary button, and a clip adapted to be detachably securedto the sewed-on button, said clip having a portion adapted to bepositioned at the upper side of the sewed-on button, and post meanssecured to and projecting above said portion and connected to theornamental button, said clip having a lower portion adapted to bepositioned at the under side of the sewed-on button, said lower portionhaving spaced arms between which the thread of the sewed-on button isadapted to be received, said post means being positioned symmetricallyand inwardly from the edges of the ornamental button whereby the latteris held in spaced relation above said port and in position to cooperatewith the button hole for holding the portions of the garment together.

4. A button device for use on a sewed-on button of the type secured to ashirt cuif for holding the parts of the cufi in overlapped relation,said device comprising an ornamental button and means for detachablysecuring said ornamental button to the sewed-on button with theornamental button adapted to be held in spaced relation above thesewed-on button, said means comprising a substantially U-shaped memberhaving an upper portion adapted to be positioned substantially on theupper surface of the sewed-on button and a lower portion adapted to bepositioned underneath the sewed-on button, said lower portion comprisingtwo spaced diverging members adapted to extend beyond the periphery ofthe sewed-on button and thence upwardly and inwardly to form loopsadapted to receive the edge of the sewed-on button, said divergingmembers being laterally and resiliently yieldable whereby the device isadapted to be detachably held on the sewed-on button, said ornamentalbutton being secured to said upper portion and lying in a plane spaced 7above said upper portion.

5. A button device adapted to be detachably secured to a sewed-on buttonwhich is attached by thread to a portion of a shirt cuff having anotherportion provided with a button hole, said device comprising anornamental auxiliary button, a horizontally extending, U-shaped cliphaving upper and lower portions, post means connecting the ornamentalauxiliary button to the upper portion of the clip and holding theornamental button spaced above said upper portion, the lower portionhaving a slot and projecting forwardly and terminating in hook meanswhereby the device may be detachably secured to a sewed-on button byslipping the upper and lower portions of the clip over the respectivetop and lower sides of the sewed-on button with the thread positioned insaid slot and with the hook means hooked over the adjacent edge of thecult so that the ornamental button may cooperate with the button holefor holding together the portions of the cuff.

6. The combination of a shirt cuff having a button hole, a sewed-onbutton secured to a portion of the cuff by thread, and an ornamentalbutton device comprising an ornamental button, a horizontally extendingU-shaped button-embracing clip having an upper portion engaging the topside of the sewed-on button and a lower portion engaging the bottom sideof the sewed-on button, said lower portion having two spaced armspositioned, respectively, on opposite sides of the thread, post meansconnecting the central portion of the ornamental button to the upperportion of the clip for holding the ornamental button above said upperportion, said lower portion extending forwardly beyond the sewed-onbutton to the adjacent edge of the cufi, and hook means formed on theprojecting end of said lower portion and hooked over the edge of thecuff whereby the device is detachably held on the sewed-on button sothat the ornamental button may cooperate with the button hole to holdthe portions of the cult together.

7. The combination of a shirt cuff, a sewed-on button secured to aportion of the cuff by thread, and an ornamental button devicecomprising an ornamental auxiliary button, a horizontally extendingU-shaped clip hav ing an upper portion engaging the top of the sewed-onbutton and a lower portion comprising two spaced arms which arepositioned under the sewed-on button with the arms on opposite sides ofthe thread, post means connecting the ornamental button to the upperpart of the clip and holding the ornamental button in spaced relationabove the upper part of the clip, said arms extending forwardly beyondthe sewed-on button and terminating in hooks which hook over theadjacent edge of the cuit whereby the ornamental button is detachablyheld on the cult in position to cooperate with the button hole forholding the portions of the cuff together.

8. A button device adapted to be detachably secured to the sewed-onbutton on a portion of a shirt cuff having another portion provided witha button hole for cooperation with the button, said device comprising anornamental auxiliary button, a post connected to the auxiliary buttonand projecting below the under side thereof, said post having a slot inits lower end, and a clip adapted to be detachably secured to thesewed-0n button, said clip having a part which is rockably held in saidslot whereby the ornamental button is held above said part and inposition to cooperate with the button hole for holding the portions ofthe cuff together.

9. The combination of a garment having a portion with a button hole, asewed-on button secured near the edge of another portion of the garmentby thread, and an ornamental button device comprising an ornamentalbutton, a button-embracing clip having an upper portion positioned atthe top slide of the sewed-on button and a lower portion located on theunder side of the sewed-on button, means connecting the ornamentalbutton to the upper portion, said lower portion having spaced armsproviding slot means within which the thread is received, at least oneof the arms projecting forwardly to the adjacent edge of the garmentportion, and hook means formed on the end of the forwardly projectingarm, said hook means being hooked over the adjacent edge of the garmentwhereby the ornamental button device is detachably held on the sewed-onbutton so that the ornamental button may cooperate with the button holeto hold the portions of the garment in buttoned relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS298,993 Lowell May 20, 1884 1,477,475 De Talmond Dec. 11, 1923 1,551,051Pollard Aug. 25, 1925 1,774,033 Myers et al Aug. 26, 1930 2,478,699Silman Aug. 9, 1949

